Raymond Berndt

Raymond Floyd Berndt, age 93 passed away Friday, January 6, 2017 at his home in Brookdale Living Center.

Raymond was born June 30, 1923 to Gust and Mary (Crocker) Berndt in McCook, NE.  He attended a one-room school house, where during the “dirty thirties” they needed a lantern during the day and had a rope tied so they could get home.  He graduated from McCook in 1940.  He worked at the dairy and for the railroad.

On June 6, 1948 he married Dorothy Ridpath and they made their home on a farm south of McCook.  They enjoyed raising wheat, milo and cattle, and knew if you had a good year, it might have to cover for the next.  They moved into town in 1990.  He enjoyed going out for coffee with his cronies, an occasional game of golf,  to farm sales, parades and car shows, usually with Dorothy at his side.  He always loved having picnics and “wiener roasts” and pulling practical jokes (like giving a hired man a fake hotdog).

They finally gave their hearts to the Lord (an answer to many years of prayer by his Aunts Minnie and Martha, where he stayed during high school) after a tornado took the roof off the Culbertson grandstand where they’d just been sitting.  From that time on they were busy members of the First Assembly of God church.  One of his delights was teaching a class of Junior Boys.  He served as a deacon and was the church Treasurer for many years.  They always had a heart for missions, and helped their cousins John & Lucille Mazurek, Missionaries to Chile.  They passed this legacy down, as 12 of their descendants have made missions trips to Mexico, China, Romania, Ireland, El Salvador, the Philippines, and Ethiopia.  The legacy lives on in Cheryl & Phil’s missions ministry Ravens Mexico.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Gilbert, and Dorothy, his bride of 66 years.

He is survived by daughters: Cheryl and husband, Rev. Phil Neely, of Montrose, CO, Karen and husband, Tom Anderson of McCook; sister Velma and husband Bob McBride, Brother Dean and wife Helen of McCook; six grand children: Jason (Carmen) Neely, Jessica Neely, Nick (Chely) Anderson, Rev. Andy (Stephanie) Anderson, Krystal Anderson, and Tiffany (Brandon) Trampe; three great grand children: Judah and Jenna Neely, and Nicole Anderson.

Visitation will be Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. with family greeting from 6 to 8 p.m. at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at the McCook First Assembly of God Church, 811 East “C” Street with Reverends Cheryl and Phil Neely, officiating.  Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in his name to Ravens Inc., 630 Golden Dr., Montrose, CO  81402 (Provisioning Missions Ministry to an Indian Tribe in Mexico).